OTHER STATUS:
Swamp red currant is listed as endangered in Connecticut and Ohio and threatened in Pennsylvania
[78]. More information on the state-level protected status of plants in the United States is
available at Plants Database.

GENERAL DISTRIBUTION:
Swamp red currant is native to North America and is also found in northeast Asia
[2,30,39,50,82]. It occurs from Alaska to Newfoundland, south to Virginia,
and west along the northern tier of states to Oregon, excluding Idaho [39,67,74,82].
Distributional information about the infrataxa of swamp red currant is currently
unavailable. Plants Database provides a
distributional map of swamp red currant.

Seed production:Ribes spp. generally produce seeds when 3 to 5 years old [7]

Seed dispersal:
Seeds of Ribes spp. are dispersed almost entirely by mammals and birds during the summer and fall [64].

Seed banking:
The seeds of Ribes spp. remain viable in the soil for "long periods of time" [56,64,72,73].

Germination:
Wright [86] claims that the germination of the seeds of Ribes spp. are stimulated by fire, but provides
no data. Seeds normally germinate in the spring following dispersal [64].

In a study by Nichols [60], 100 swamp red currant seeds were planted in sterilized soil and placed outdoors in
a cold frame for a refrigeration period of 71 to 112 days. Another box of 100 seeds was kept in a greenhouse and
germination rates were compared. The number of germinating swamp red currant seeds was greater and quicker without
refrigeration [60]:

Number of seeds germinating

Number of days required for germination

After refrigeration

69

169-277

Without refrigeration

73

41-125

Seedling establishment/growth:
No information is available on this topic.

Asexual regeneration: Heinselman
[37] states that woody genera regenerate asexually via a
root crown; however,
he does not specifically mention Ribes spp. Swamp red currant does
regenerate by layering
[32,42,50,71,82].

SITE CHARACTERISTICS:
Swamp red currant is found growing in rich, damp, and poorly-drained deciduous and
coniferous woods [20,62,67,71,83], margins of bogs [30,32,50,71,74], lakeshores [74],
and stream banks [42,71]. Swamp red currant is a plant indicator for the white spruce/balsam
fir forest type in the Lake States [68].

Elevation:
Swamp red currant grows from the lowlands to timberline in Alaska [42]. Further information about
elevation is unavailable.

Soil:
Swamp red currant grows in well-drained to somewhat poorly-drained moist to wet soil [13,32,39,47,50,74,83].
In the lowlands of northern Wisconsin, it can be found growing in black spruce bogs composed of peat moss,
with a pH of 4.5, and in northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis) swamps composed of compacted coarse
wood peat [14]. In the white spruce-flood plain habitat of Alaska, swamp red currant grows on well-drained
alluvial soils [23]. In mixed-boreal forest types in southwest Quebec, it is more commonly found on clay than
till deposits [51].

In interior Alaska, swamp red currant occurred in an early postfire successional stage dominated by paper
birch (Betula papyrifera), and in a climax community dominated by white spruce. The intensity of the fires is unknown [55].

In mixed-boreal forests of eastern Canada, swamp red currant grows in early successional stages. It was
found growing in the 1st postfire successional stage, dominated by quaking aspen, paper birch, and
jack pine (Pinus banksiana) and the 2nd postfire successional stage, dominated by balsam fir
and northern white-cedar [8,9].

In western Labrador, Simon and Schwab [70] measured the abundance of swamp red currant on black spruce
sites that burned 2, 18, and 40 years ago, as well as 80 and 140-year-old dry and wet nonburned sites.
Swamp red currant reached the highest abundance on the oldest, wet sites. These sites were dominated by
paper birch, with water that continuously seeped through the soil [70]:

Age of site (years)

2

18

40

80

140 dry site

140 wet site

Abundance (mean canopy volume m│)

1.84

0.41

0.00

0.00

0.15

7.88

In northern Michigan, swamp red currant occurred in the American beech (Fagus grandifolia)/sugar
maple successional stage 20-25 years following fire of unknown intensity in a quaking aspen forest [29].

In 5 Chena River stands in the boreal forest of interior Alaska, swamp red currant was present in late
stages of succession [81]:

Cover type

Alaska willow (Salix alaxensis) (0-50 years old)

Balsam poplar (50 years old)

White spruce (120 years old)

White spruce/black spruce (200 years old)

Black spruce/Sphagnum spp. (120 years old)

Frequency (%)

0

0

30

80

10

Cover (%)

0

0

2

3

1

SEASONAL DEVELOPMENT:
Swamp red currant flowers from May to June in the northern Great Plains [32,50,74] and Alaska [82],
and June to July in the northeastern United States and Canada [30]. Fruits mature from June to July
in the northern Great Plains [50] and July to August in Ontario [71] and Alaska [82].

FIRE ECOLOGY OR ADAPTATIONS:Fire adaptations:
Swamp red currant may regenerate via a root crown
[37], based on general patterns of asexual regeneration by woody species; however, information specific
to swamp red currant is not available in the literature. The seeds of swamp red currant are stored in
the soil [37,85].

Fire regimes:
Coniferous forests of interior Alaska are particularly liable to destruction by
fire due to long hours of sunshine during the summer, low precipitation, and
high air temperatures. Heavy growth of lichens and mosses provide fuel for fires
in the summer when very dry. Fires were set by Native Americans in early times to
increase the quality of hunting, as a means to communicate, and as smudge fires for
relief from mosquitoes. By 1896, gold was discovered by settlers, increasing the
population dramatically. Between 1898 and 1940, an average of at least 1 million
acres (404,687 ha) was burned each year, mainly due to highway and railroad construction, as
well as to increase grass for forage, to kill mosquitoes and to make prospecting
easier [55].

Fires were common in areas of the temperate forests of the northeastern United States where
swamp red currant occurs before European settlers arrived. Native Americans used fire for more
than 1,000 years to clear land and drive game, maintaining a mosaic of seral stages. Fires may
have burned at intervals of 3 years or less on dry forest sites and intervals of 100 years on
wetter forested sites where swamp red currant is found. After European settlers arrived, fire
was used to clear land to encourage quick growth of grass for livestock. Over time, states attempted
to control fire. Since the 1950s, fire has has become relatively rare in spruce-fir forests of the
northeastern United States [53].

The following table provides fire return intervals for plant communities
and ecosystems where red swamp currant is important. For further information, see
the FEIS review of the dominant species listed below.

PLANT RESPONSE TO FIRE:
Postfire response of swamp red currant is related to severity and intensity of the fire. Wright [86]
claims that germination of the seeds of Ribes spp. is stimulated by fire, but provides no data.
Swamp red currant may also regenerate via a root crown
[37]; however, no specific information on this is topic is available in the literature. Swamp red
currant regenerates via seeds stored in the soil [37,85].

DISCUSSION AND QUALIFICATION OF PLANT RESPONSE:
Ohmann and others [61] classified and described upland plant communities resulting from fires 33
years previously in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northeastern Minnesota. From 1936-1966, 155
wildfires occurred. The researchers sampled 14 areas that were 5 acres (2 ha) or larger and were
left unlogged or partially logged. Swamp red currant was found in aspen-paper birch communities and
in paper birch communities [61]:

Presence in stands (%)

Average frequency in sample plots within stands (%)

Average cover (%)

Average relative frequency (%)

Average relative dominance (%)

Average importance value (%)

Commonness index (presence x frequency)

Quaking aspen-paper birch community

11

1

<1%

<1%

<1%

<1%

12

Paper birch community

13

1

<1%

1

<1%

1

16

The effects of fire and spruce beetles were studied by Holsten and others [41] in white spruce forests
within the Resurrection Creek watershed of the Chugach National Forest, Alaska. In 1980, 30 plots were
established to monitor changes in species richness and diversity of understory vegetation as a result of
spruce beetle-caused mortality of white spruce. The plots were remeasured annually for the first 5 years
and again in 1985 and 1991. In June, 1984, a prescribed burn was conducted on 1,507 acres (610 ha) of the
watershed to provide browse habitat for moose. Seventeen of the original 30 plots were within the burn. The
burn consumed all overstory and understory vegetation and exposed mineral soil in a few cases. Eleven years
following prescribed burning, the frequency and cover of swamp red currant decreased to 0% on the burned and
unburned plots. Since this response was observed on both burned and unburned plots, it does not necessarily
prove that swamp red currant is negatively affected by fire [41]:

Burned plots (n=17)

Unburned plots (n=13)

1980 (preburn)

1991(postburn)

1980

1991

Frequency (%)

6

0

8

0

Cover (%)

13

0

2

0

Viereck and Dyrness [80] studied the development of vegetation following the 1971 Wickersham Dome Fire
near Fairbanks, Alaska, which burned 15,570 acres (6,300 ha) of predominantly black spruce forest. Data
were collected for 3 years following the fire. Swamp red currant was present in quaking aspen stands 1
and 3 years following a "heavy burn," which was defined as >90-95% of the area blackened;
lesser vegetation and tree crowns were consumed. The largest percent cover and frequency of red swamp
currant occurred 3 years following the burn. No data were reported for swamp red currant on control plots
[80]:

1972

1973

1974

Cover (%)

.05

0

.65

Frequency (%)

5

0

35

The effects of fire severity on the early development of understory vegetation in boreal mixedwood
stands was studied on the 1999 Black River Fire in southeastern Manitoba. Before the burn, stands
consisted of quaking aspen and a mixture of balsam fir, white spruce, black spruce and (or) jack pine
and the stands had not burned for 70 years. Understory vegetation recovery was studied on four 12 to
25 acre (5-10 ha) plots from 1999-2002. Three fire severity classes were assigned: (1) scorched, litter
not burned or partially burned; (2) lightly burned, with or without very limited duff consumption; and
(3) severely burned, forest floor completely consumed, and organic matter in soil horizon may be partially
consumed. Swamp red currant was most prevalent in the scorched plots, where seed and crowns were probably
least damaged. According to Wang and Kemball [85], scorching alone would probably not be sufficient to
stimulate germination of swamp red currant. The mean percent cover and frequency over the 4 postfire years
for swamp red currant was as follows [85]:

Scorched

Lightly burned

Severely burned

Cover (%)

0.2

<0.1

0

Frequency (%)

3

2

0

FIRE MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:
The response of swamp red currant to fire depends on fire severity, habitat
type, and fuel load. With a root crown
and seeds stored in the soil, swamp red currant is able to withstand low- to moderate-severity
fire [41,61,85], and occasionally, severe fire [80]. More data on the effects of prescribed burning
on swamp red currant are needed.

Palatability/nutritional value:
The browse value of Ribes spp. is typically poor to fair for livestock [18,79]. Ribes
spp. have considerable nutritional value for songbirds, rodents, small and large nongame mammals and
hoofed browsers [57,79]. In studies in Alaska, the fruits of swamp red currant were eaten by black
bears [35] and moose [52] during summer months.

Cover value:
No information is available on this topic.

VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES:Ribes spp. can be propagated by hardwood cuttings taken during dormancy
in the late fall, winter, or early spring. The cuttings can be planted
immediately in a greenhouse or stored in moist sand or peat in a cool place
until spring [19].

The fruits of swamp red currant can be eaten raw [38,82] and are utilized by the Eskimo of the
Northern Bering Sea and Arctic regions of Alaska [1]. Jams and jellies can be made from the fruits
[38,82,83].

Swamp red currant can be used to address urinary and gynecological problems [44].

Following clearcutting and shelterwood cutting in white spruce floodplain habitat on Willow Island in the
Tanana River near Fairbanks, Alaska, the percent cover and percent frequency of swamp red currant either
returned to precut amounts or increased [23]:

Treatment

Control

Postclearcut

Postshelterwood cut (14 m spacing)

Postshelterwood cut (9 m spacing)

Year

Year 1

Year 2

Year 1

Year 2

Year 1

Year 2

Cover (%)

0.1

<0.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.2

Frequency (%)

8

4

13

5

8

5

15

Yarie and Mead [87] developed biomass equations from foliar cover and height estimates of plant species
to provide an efficient means for determining vegetative biomass on inventory plots in the Tanana River
basin of interior Alaska. Equations are available in [87]:

Herbicide:
The effectiveness of vegetation control treatments were measured 11 years following a wildfire in boreal
white and black spruce habitat in the Dawson Creek Forest District of British Columbia to reduce dense mixed
hardwood, shrub, and grass communities. Treatments included: (1) discing; (2) discing and glyphosate treatment;
(3) no discing and glyphosate treatment and (4) an untreated control. Vegetation was measured 14 years following
the treatments. Swamp red currant showed no growth following any of the treatments and had 0.5% cover in the
untreated control with a modal height of 0.33 feet (0.10 m) [11].

To control vegetation competing with white spruce, glyphosate was applied to one 328 x 328 ft. (100 x 100 m)
plot at the Tsiloh River in the Fort James Forest District of British Columbia. Ten years later, vegetation
was measured. Swamp red currant was found growing in the plot treated with glyphosate and was not present in
the control plot [12].

Wildlife: The density of swamp red currant decreases moderately
in deer yards, a place where deer herd during the winter months, of northern white-cedar swamps of northern
Wisconsin [34].

36. Heinselman, Miron L. 1970. The natural role of fire in northern conifer forests. In: The role of fire in the Intermountain West: Symposium proceedings; 1970 October 27-29; Missoula, MT. Missoula, MT: Intermountain Fire Research Council: 30-41. In cooperation with: University of Montana, School of Forestry. [15735]

44. Kartesz, John T.; Meacham, Christopher A. 1999. Synthesis of the North American flora (Windows Version 1.0), [CD-ROM]. Available: North Carolina Botanical Garden. In cooperation with: The Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [2001, January 16]. [36715]